Football | Zimbabwe

Sundowns schedule Zimbabwe friendlies

South African Premier Soccer League giants Mamelodi Sundowns have lined up three friendly games in Zimbabwe.

The big-spending Brazilians will play against Highlanders, Dynamos and CAPS United between January 30 to February 3.

Downs have only two players – striker Katlego ‘Killer’ Mphela and goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands – in the Bafana Bafana squad that will duty at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which opens in Johannesburg on Saturday and ends on February 10.

The Tshwane-based club’s technical director Trot Moloto says the warm-up ties will serve as a pre-season of sorts, with the league currently on a break until February 12.

“We want to give the players another pre-season so that we see what we can do in the second round,” said Moloto.

“We have a new coach (former Bafana boss Pitso Mosimane) and he wants to have time with the players and see what he wants. We want to change things in the second round and these friendlies will help us a lot,” concluded Moloto.

Sundowns, who endured a miserable start to the season, are 10th in the domestic standings with 18 points – 17 less than leaders Kaizer Chiefs who they will resume their campaign against next month.